Recording method, ink cartridge, printing device and information recording apparatus

Abstract

A recording method including the step of providing an ink from a recording head to a recording medium through a gap provided between the recording head and the recording medium, the ink being supplied to the recording head from an ink tank including an ink contact member and the ink contacting the ink contact member, wherein the ink comprises: (i) a fluorescent coloring material; (ii) a nonionic surfactant; (iii) a compound which is not compatible with (ii); and (iv) a liquid medium for dissolving or dispersing (i), (ii) and (iii), and wherein the ink contact member comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of polyacetate and polyolefin.

1. A recording method comprising a step of providing an ink from a recording head to a recording medium through a gap provided between the recording head and the recording medium, the ink being supplied to the recording head from an ink tank comprising an ink contact member and the ink contacting the ink contact member,
 wherein the ink comprises: 
 (i) a fluorescent coloring material; 
 (ii) a nonionic surfactant; 
 (iii) a compound which is not compatible with (ii); and 
 (iv) a liquid medium for dissolving or dispersing (i), (ii) and (iii), and 
 wherein the ink contact member is an ink-holding member made of polypropylene. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ink-holding member is located in an ink container. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the ink-holding member has a surface in contact with the ink container. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step comprises the sub-steps of:
 ejecting ink droplets from an orifice in response to recording signals using an ink-jet method, and 
 conducting recording on the recording medium. 
 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the sub-step for ejecting ink droplets is performed by applying thermal energy to the ink. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent coloring material is water-soluble or hydrophilic. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the fluorescent coloring material in the ink is equal to or exceeds the concentration thereof exhibiting the maximum fluorescence intensity. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the fluorescent coloring material in the ink is not more than 1.5% by weight based on total weight of the ink. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent coloring material is a fluorescent dye. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic surfactant is a liquid at room temperature. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic surfactant has an HLB of not more than 13. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the nonionic surfactant in the ink is a value causing no phase separation in the ink. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the nonionic surfactant in the ink is a value that does not cause phase separation of the nonionic surfactant even when the ink does not contain the fluorescent coloring material. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the nonionic surfactant is contained in an amount not more than 1.0% by weight based on total weight of the ink. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic surfactant is water-soluble or hydrophilic. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic surfactant has an acetylene group. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic surfactant has a structure represented by the following formula I: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       (wherein A and B are independently C n H 2n+1  (n being an integer of 1 to 10), and X and Y are independently a ring-opened ethylene oxide unit and/or a ring-opened propylene oxide unit.). 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein (iii) is liquid at room temperature. 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein (iii) is water-soluble or hydrophilic. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein (iii) is a compound selected from the group consisting of sugar alcohol, sugar alcohol complex and an ethyleneoxide and/or propyleneoxide adduct thereof. 
     
     
       21. The method according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the ink-holding member is formed of a fibrous aggregate. 
     
     
       22. The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the fibrous aggregate is arranged along a direction of discharging the ink. 
     
     
       23. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ink further comprises a primary alcohol. 
     
     
       24. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ink further comprises a non-fluorescent coloring material. 
     
     
       25. The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the non-fluorescent coloring material is water-soluble or hydrophilic. 
     
     
       26. The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the non-fluorescent coloring material is an azo dye. 
     
     
       27. The method according to  claim 24 , wherein a concentration of the non-fluorescent coloring material in the ink is not less than the concentration of the fluorescent coloring material. 
     
     
       28. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ink contains ammonium ions and alkali metal ions. 
     
     
       29. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ink further comprises at least one selected from urea and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
       30. The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the derivatives include alkyl derivatives of urea and ethyleneoxide adducts of urea and propyleneoxide adducts of urea. 
     
     
       31. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface tension of the ink is not more than 40 mN/m (dyne/cm). 
     
     
       32. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein pH of the ink is not more than 8. 
     
     
       33. The recording method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent coloring material is C.I. Acid Red 52, and the content of the coloring material is at most 0.4% by weight based on total weight of the ink. 
     
     
       34. An ink-cartridge comprising an aqueous ink and an ink contact member,
 wherein the ink comprises: 
 (i) a fluorescent coloring material; 
 (ii) a nonionic surfactant; 
 (iii) a compound which is not compatible with (ii); and 
 (iv) a liquid medium for dissolving or dispersing (i), (ii) and (iii), and 
 wherein the ink contact member is an ink-holding member made of polypropylene. 
 
     
     
       35. The ink-cartridge according to  claim 34 , wherein the ink contact member is at least one selected from an ink container containing the ink therein and an ink-holding member provided in the ink container together with the ink. 
     
     
       36. The ink-cartridge according to  claim 35 , wherein the ink-holding member is porous. 
     
     
       37. The ink-cartridge according to  claim 35 , wherein the ink-holding member has a surface in contact with the ink container. 
     
     
       38. The ink-cartridge according to  claim 35 , wherein the ink-holding member has a multi-layered structure. 
     
     
       39. The ink-cartridge according to  claim 38 , wherein layers constituting the multi-layered structure are arranged along a discharge direction of the ink in the ink container. 
     
     
       40. The ink-cartridge according to  claim 38 , wherein the ink-holding member has a surface in contact with the ink container. 
     
     
       41. The ink-cartridge according to  claim 35 , wherein the ink-holding member is made of a fibrous aggregate. 
     
     
       42. The ink-cartridge according to  claim 41 , wherein the fibrous aggregate is arranged along a discharge direction of the ink in the ink container. 
     
     
       43. The ink-cartridge according to  claim 42 , wherein the ink-holding member has a surface in contact with the ink container. 
     
     
       44. A printing apparatus comprising an ink-cartridge defined by  claim 34  and an ink-jet head for discharging ink placed in the ink-cartridge. 
     
     
       45. An information recording apparatus comprising an ink-cartridge of  claim 34  and an ink-jet head for discharging ink placed in the ink-cartridge. 
     
     
       46. The ink-cartridge according to  claim 34 , wherein the fluorescent coloring material is C.I. Acid Red 52, and the content of the coloring material is at most 0.4% by weight based on total weight of the ink. 
     
     
       47. An ink tank comprising an aqueous ink, an ink container and an ink-holding member,
 wherein the ink comprises: 
 (i) a fluorescent coloring material; 
 (ii) a nonionic surfactant; 
 (iii) a compound which is not compatible with (ii); and 
 (iv) a liquid medium for dissolving or dispersing (i), (ii) and (iii), and 
 wherein the ink-holding member comprises polypropylene. 
 
     
     
       48. The ink-tank according to  claim 47 , wherein the fluorescent coloring material is C.I. Acid Red 52, and the content of the coloring material is at most 0.4% by weight based on total weight of the ink.